Railway-switch.



PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

T. FULLBRIGHT. RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27,1906.

NN hm Q E w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS FULLBRIGHT,' OF RENTIESVIL LE, INDIAN TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO NATHANIEL L. PAUL, OF RENTIESVILLE, INDIAN TERRITORY.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

To all whom it may concern] B e it known that I, THOMAS FULLBRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rentiesville, District 10, Indian Territory,.

have invented a new and useful Railway Switch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of rail-- way-switches adapted to be operated from approaching-trains, and has for its object totion is better understood, the invention con-' sists. in certain novel features of construction,

, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding' parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the-preferred form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1- is a plan view of a portion of a railway-track, including the main-line rails, the switch-rails, and the side-' track rails, of the'usual construction, with the improved switch-o erating' devices applied. Fig. 2 is a side e evation, enlarged, of theswitch-stand. Fig.3 is asection on the line 3 3 of Fi 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are views in ig. 6 .is'fa side elevation of v t e weighted switch-holding arm. Figs. 7 and-8 are views of one of the tripping devicescanied upon locomotives and cars of the trains and employed to trip the switchoperating mechanisms.

-The improved device may be .applied 'to any of the ordinary switch structures in common use, either of the -stu or split va-v riety, but forthe purpose of illustration is shown applied to an ordinary stub-switch structure,' the main-line rails being represented at 1011, the switch-rails at 12 13, and the side-track rails at 14' 15, the switch-rails being coupled at their movable endsby the usual rod 16. i p

The improved attachments comprise levers 17 18, pivoted at 19 20 at opposite sides of. the track, preferably upon one of the ties Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed April 27, 190 Serial No. 314,110.

perspective 0 the switch-staff tripping plates.

Patented July 17, 1 906.

21, extended for that purpose, as shown. The levers 17 18 are coupled at one end by a rod 22, and the lever 18 coupled by a rod 23 to the switch-bar 16, while the lever 17 is coupled to another lever 24 by a rod 25, the lever 24 pivoted at 26 to one of the ties extended for that purpose. Pivoted at 27, preferably to one of the ties 21, is a lever 28, coupled at 29 to the lever-coupling rod 22. Pivoted at30 is another lever31, coupled at one end at 32 to the free end of the lever 28. Located at a suitable distance from the switch-rails, at one side of the same, is a bar 33, mounted for movement transversely of the track, as by bearings 34, and provided with trip-plates 35 36, either inside or outside the rails, as may be referred, but perfectly outside the rails, as s own. Thetrip-plates are formed with outwardly-curving ends and arranged' so thatwhen one tri -plate is spaced from one rail the other trip-p ate will be rela tively close to the other rail, as shown in Fig. 1. The bar 33 is coupled by a rod 37 to a bell-crank 38, and this bell-crank is coupled by a rod 39 to another bell-crank 40, cou led at 41 relatively near the lever 24, .the ellcrank being coupled by a rod 42 to the lever-24.. Located at a suitable distance from thev switch-rails, at the opposite side of the same, is a bar' 43, movably connected by hangers 44 to one of the ties 21 and rovided with trip plates 45 46, the bar 43 an its tripplates 45 46 corresponding in construction to the bar 33 and its trip-plates 35 36. The bar 43 is connected by a rod 47 to a bell-crank 48, the latter pivoted at 49 and connected by a rod 50 to'another bell-crank 51, pivoted at 52, and in its turn connected by a rod 53 to the free end of the lever 31. The bar 43 is associated with the main-line rails 10 11, and

likewise associated with the side-track rails 14 15 is a bar 54, movable through hangers 55 56 and provided with curved trip-plates 57 58. The three bars 33, 43, and 54 are substantially alike and operatin in the same manner.v The bar'54 is cou le by a rod 59" to abell-crank 60 and the atter pivoted at 61 to one of the ties and connected by a rod 1 62 to a bell-crank 63, the latter in turn pivotedat 64 and connected by a rod 65 to the joint 32 between the levers 28 and 31. By this arrangement it will be obvious that when the trip-plates 5758 are actuated the operatives for actuating the trip-plates as switch-rails will be thrown in the same man-- ner as the other trip-plates are operated.

The locomotives, coaches, freight-cars, cabooses, or other rollin -.stock will be rovided Wlth means under t e control of t e train re uired.

7 he trip-operating mechanism consists .of a flanged wheel 66, mounted for'rotationu on 1 a swinging ,arm 67, the latter connecte to the locomotive or other portion of the train and provided with means whereby it may be elevated or depressed to cause .it to contact with the trip-bars when required. The arms 67 are under the control of the engineer,- conductor or other member of the train-crew;

With an a paratus thus described associated with 't e switch mechanism the engine'er or other operative of an approaching train by depressing one of the operating mech amsms66 causes the same .to engage one of the trip-plates, and thus throws the switch into anypo'sition he may desire. For instance, if a train is approaching on the main line and the engineer esires to run his train upon the side track, he depresses the member 6 which when de' ressed will actuate the t'ri member 36, an thus cause the switch r s 12 13 to be c erated to close the sidetrack rails throug the action of the bellcranks '38 40, rods 39 42,1ever 24, rod 2-5,- lever 17, rod 22, lever 18, and rod 23. If the approaching train is to' be continued, on the main line and the engineer discovers that the trip-plates 35 36 are in the position shown in Fig. 1, he pays no attention to the tripping mechanism carried by the train, but prooeeds on his way. If the engineer discovers that the trip-plates'35 36' are in the reversed position from that shown in Fig. 1 and he desires to proceed on the main line, he actuat'es themember 66, which "is arranged to operate the tri' plate'35, and thus throws the switch over 01 the main line through the same means just described, as will be obvious. [If the engineeris approachingfrom the opposite direction on the" main line, he can readily throw the switch into any position required by simply actuating the members to cause them to contact with the trip-plates 45 or 46, as the case maybe. If the train is appreaching 0n the sidetr'ack, the switch is which is locate will sition the movement of the switch mechanism will automatically reverse the position. of the lever and cause the weight 71 to hold the switch yieldably in closed position. Lo-

cated adjacent to the switch-rails, preferably at the .side opposite from the weighted lever 70 71, is a switch-stand 73, having a vertical staff 74.' The switch-stand 73 is provided with spaced recesses 7 5 76, into which a stoparm 77 is caused to be alternately engaged as the staff is actuated. Extending from the staff 74 is a targetrod 78, having a target 79 of the ordinary form. The recesses 757 6 are so located relative to the arm 77 that when the latter is in one of the recessesjthe target 79 is disposed parallel with the main-line rails, and when the arm 77 is inthe other recess the target is disposed transversely of the line, the switch-rails being so arranged. relative to the staff 74 that the target only when elevated, and an approved mech-' anism whereby the staff is elevated-to release the arm 77 before it is rotated to. operate the switch is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and is described as follows: Attached to the basev of the stand 73 is a disk 80, having 7 spaced depressions 81 with inclined sides 82,

and rotat vely disposed upon the staff is an-' other disk 83, having spaced ribs 84, correspondin to the recesses 81 of the disk 80, and Withinc med sides 85 ,cOrrespQndin to themeli'nedsides 82 of the recesses 81. he plates 80 and 83 are superimposedand when in one position the ribs 84 bear in the recess 81 and e in its parallel I osition when the switch 1 is set for the main lme andin its transverse when in another position the ribs 84 bear upon the lands of the disk 80 between the recesses 81. The stafi 74 is providedwith a collar-.86, fast thereonand beneath which the disk 83 bears, so that when the disk 83 is elevated it will carry the'stafi' with it, while at the same time leaving the staff free to be rotated as hereinafter explained. The disks 80 and 83 are so arranged relative. to the arm 77 that when theribs 84 are in one osition relative to the recesses 81 the arm 7 will bear in the recess 76, and when the ribs 84 arein another position relative to the recesses 81 the arm 77 will bear in the recess 75, as hereinafter explained. The stafi 74 extends below the base of the stand 73 and is provided with an arm 87, having a concentric slot 88, and the disk 83 is provided with an arm 89, from which a pin 90 extends downwardly through the slot 88 and connected at the lower end to the. switch-rod 16 by a rod 93. The swinging movement of the staff 7 4 is. equal to one-fourth of a circle, in order to properly operate the target, and the length of the slot 88 is sufficient to cause the disk 83 to be rotated to a sufficient extent to transfer the ribs 84 to the lands between the recesses 81 of the disk 80, and thus elevate the staff 74 to release the arm 77 from the recess in the stand 73 with which for the time being it is engaged, and then as the motion of the stafl continues thepin 90 picks up the arm 87 and completes the movement, the ribs 84 enterin the recesses 81 in the disk 80 at the end 0 the stroke, and thus permitting the arm 77 to enter the other recess in the staff and locking manually operated the rod 23 is disconnected to release the tripping mechanism.

The device is readily applicable to any of the switch structures in common use, as above noted, without change therein.

The improved apparatus may be a plied at any distance from the sWitch-rai s-and may be coupled by rods, chains, wire cables, or the like.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a railway-switch, the track structure *including the main-line rails the side-track rails and the switch-rails, with the switchrails coupled at their movable ends, swinging levers disposed at opposite sides of said track, a vertically-swinging bar having a weight at its upper end, a rod connecting said levers at one end, a rod connecting said switch-rails to the opposite end of one of said levers, a rod connecting said weighted bar with the opposite end of said lever, and means operative by the approaching train for actuating said lever connecting-rod to cause the operation of the switch in advance of the train.

2., In a'railway-switch, the track structure includin the main-line rails the side-track rails an the switch-rails, with the switchrails coupled at their movable ends,swinging levers disposed at opposite sides of said track, a vertically-swinging bar having a weight at its upper end, a switch-stand having a signal-target, a rod connecting said le vers at one end, a rod connecting said switchrails to the opposite end of one of said levers, a rod connecting said Weighted bar with the opposite end of said other lever, a rod connecting said switch-rails with said target-operating mechanism, and means operative by the approaching train for actuating said lever-connecting rod to cause the operation of the switch in advance of the train.

3. In a railway-switch, the track structure including the mainline rails the side-track rails and the switch-rails, with the switchrails coupled at their movable ends, swinging levers dis osed at opposite sides of said track,

a vertica ly-swinging bar having a Weight at its upper end, a switch-stand having spaced radial recesses, a staff movable rotatively and longitudinally in said stand and provided with an arm for alternate engagement with said recesses, connecting means between said levers at one end, connecting means between said switch-rails and the opposite end of one of said levers, connecting means between said weighted bar and the opposite end of said other lever, and means operative by the approaching train for actuating said lever-connecting means to cause the operation of the switch in advance of the train.

4. In a railway-switch, the track structure including the main-line rails the side-track rails and the switch-rails, with the switchrails coupled at their movable ends, swinging levers dis osed at opposite sides of said track, a vertica y-swingingbar having a weight at its up er end, a switch-stand, a staff having space radial recesses and movable rota- .tively and longitudinally in said stand and provided with a locking-arm for alternate engagement -with said recesses, connecting means between said levers at one end, connecting means between said switch-rail and the opposite end of one of said levers, connecting means between said weighted bar and the opposite end of said other lever, connecting means between said stafl and switch; rails, means operative by the approaching train for operating said lever connecting means to cause the operation of the switch in advance of the train, and means whereby said staffis moved u wardly to release said locking-arm at'the rst movement of the switch E. H. WnRREN, F. P. BRINSON. 

